Received: from meol.mass.edu (meol.mass.edu [134.241.27.23]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.7.6/8.7.3) with SMTP id SAA13697 for <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>; Sat, 1 Feb 1997 18:27:26 -0500 (EST) Received: by meol.mass.edu; id AA24369; Sat, 1 Feb 1997 18:33:51 -0500 Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 18:33:51 -0500 (EST) From: David Rosen <rosen@meol.mass.edu> To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Subject: Advocacy In-Reply-To: <199701290055.SAA12544@dogbert.ipa.net> Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970201174947.27087C@meol.mass.edu> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Status: RO Content-Length: 4360 Lines: 82 On Tue, 28 Jan 1997, Frances Jones wrote: > David Rosen says we must demand adequate funding for adult education programs. >.... > We might lobby legislators, and I have. However, anyone receiving state or > federal money cannot be a lobbyist. That lets teachers, principals and > other professionals out. So who will do the fact-finding and be the > necessary presence to present a case for adult education again, again and > again, year after year? And who will pay that person or persons? > ...... > I agree that adult education needs are not being met, and that they are > indeed a "soup kitchen" approach. There is competition for money at all > levels, and anyone working with clients who are not attractive to the public > at large is handicapped with lack of funds. > ...... > So what kind of approach shall we use in demanding adequate funding for > adult education? Frances, Here's the approach I recommend: First, teachers, principals and other professional educators legally can -- and absolutely must -- talk with legislators. And so should adult learners, graduates of adult literacy/basic education/ESOL programs, and volunteers. This is our right as citizens, and for those who are not citizens, this is also legal. We can -- do -- and must increasingly invite state and national legislators to visit adult education programs, to talk with adult learners about what they are learning in their programs, about how services should be improved, about how many adult learners are on waiting lists for services and how long those waiting lists might be. We can also write and telephone legislators to let them know what we think. The restrictions to our basic rights as American citizens have to do with _when_ we do this. There often are restrictions if we are on paid time of the U.S. Government or if we work for state or federal or 501 C3 not-for-profit agencies. But for most of us, it is only around 8 hours a day -- at most --that we can't do this. (I sometimes write letters or make phone calls on my lunch hour or right before or after work.) Right now -- as I type this message -- I am commiting a legal act of advocacy for adult literacy. I am urging you and other NIFL-ESL readers to speak to your local, state and national legislators. It is around 6:00 PM on a Saturday evening -- perfectly legal -- although I suppose some people who read this might conclude that this isn't the way they want to spend their Saturday evenings. Many of our students come from countries where it would be illegal -- and dangerous -- to talk with government policy makers. As one student in Boston said to a teacher a couple of years ago after visiting his state Senator's office "They would have shot me in my country for doing what I just did. This is whybeing an American means so much to me." Frances, it isn't enough for you to be the only one to do this. You need to work with other teachers, students, volunteers, and others who believe that adult literacy education is important -- and inadequately funded. I bet there ARE others in the "show me" state who would be interested in working with you. In many other states: Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, and many others -- adult literacy advocates are/have been organizing themselves to help legislators understand why adult literacy education is needed for family literacy and for workforce development, among other reasons. Last year Congresspeople received thousands of letters, phone calls, faxes and email messages from students, volunteers, paid teachers and other practitioners urging their support for adult literacy. This resulted -- for the first time ever -- in a 40% increase in adult education act funding. I believe this is just the beginning, and that as more people become aware of the importance of working for (not just in) adult literacy we will succeed in having reasonably-funded, high quality education for adult learners across the country. If you are interested in staying in touch with others around the country who are involved with adult literacy advocacy, one way is to subscribe to the National Literacy Advocacy Listserv. To do so, send an email message to: majordomo@world.std.com saying "subscribe nla." David J. Rosen <DJRosen@world.std.com>
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